1. Field of the Invention
An electrical connector for connecting the bare end of an insulated conductor with a circuit on a printed circuit board, including a horizontal printed circuit board having an electrical circuit thereon, an electrically conductive contact arrangement mounted on, and electrically connected with the circuit of, the printed circuit board, the contact arrangement including at least two spaced resilient contacts having adjacent end portions that are biased together, a housing formed from electrically insulating material and containing a conductor opening for receiving the conductor bare end; and a positioning arrangement operable by an actuating tool, such as a screwdriver, for positioning the conductor bare end in a clamped position between the contact end portions.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case of spring terminals, an electrical conductor is mostly pressed against a busbar and is clamped by means of a clamping body. In the process, at least one restoring force, generated by means of a spring, acts upon the clamping body, which, for example, can be adjusted by means of a screw so that the clamping body, as the screw is reset, can again be separated from the conductor. Such a spring terminal with a clamping body that can be adjusted by means of a screw is shown by way of example in publication EP 0 836 242 B1.
In the case of spring force terminals, the conductor, on the other hand, is pressed against an electrically conducting abutment by means of a leaf spring. Such a spring force terminal, for example, is shown in publication DE 20 2005 08168.
The above-mentioned spring terminals and spring force terminals commonly share the fact that, along with the conductor and the bus bar, much structural space is required for the structural parts, especially for clamping bodies and clamping springs that, as such, are not involved in the conduction of the current. To some extent, these parts considerably enlarge the dimensions of the terminals. There is a tendency to make electrical appliances ever smaller; therefore, however, there is a considerable requirement for electrical connection elements with miniaturized dimensions.
In the case of such small connection elements, the parts are accordingly small so that they are difficult, both in terms of their production and when the user wants to use them to connect a conductor.